Why bootlegs are bad

[Cactus]

bootlegs rule. even plant buys em

Not sure what thread it was (could have been this one but I'm too lazy to look), someone said that a few years ago Page took a leading collector into a London studio to make copies of all his bootlegs, for Page's own collection. So it's not like they are anti-recordings of their live shows (although I'm sure there are some they would prefer weren't out there). As many people have said here, it's not so much the fact it's an unauthorised recording, rather that people are making profit from them, and other people are spending their hard earned money on something which is really an inferior product.

[gollum6668]

Ok everyone has good points..

I remember wanting to buy LZ bootlegs in shops through the 90's but didn't have the $$$..Now we can share them freely and enjoy them for what they are. So the times have changed since the 60's and 70's. I can see why Grant, Page & Co. were pissed in their heyday about bootlegs. But now it's a completely different ballgame with technology; file sharing and forums.

If this is the official site, I say add a download section to members who enjoy Zeppelin for their music and not their profit! Nine inch Nails has already done this and It's very comforting. I will definitely pay $30 a year for a good "bootleg" version of live songs or even remastered studio tracks. Hell the bootleg version of Baby come on home wasn't all that..the official release was great. I just listened to the unreleased Hats Off to Roy Harper..VERY GOOD..and the unreleased FIRE from the '78 sessions..both deeply missed..HHmmmm..thank god for bootlegs!

Ok the thieves who took from Jimmy were very BAD..but perhaps not..If they had not done what they did then perhaps we would not be discussing forums about bootlegs and "What If..?!"

Now the pressure is up even more since bootlegs are so freely and easily accessible today. Is that a bad thing? I don't think so as long as the show is decent and the sound quality is listenable. TSRTS was released in '76, and i know that was the first live album I ever listened to of Zep. And I thought damn this could have been better...BUT It was released OFFICIALLY!

Anyways..We're on here blah blah blah because I think that We think there could be more out there for the general public..

Am i Wrong?

[Cactus]

I guess the problem with making an official trading/downloads section is that it then officially condones unauthorised recordings. It depends how they are feeling about all the recordings I suppose, but I imagine the impulse would be to want to clean them up and make them sound better - which is expensive, therefore not free for the end user

[gollum6668]

I guess the problem with making an official trading/downloads section is that it then officially condones unauthorised recordings. It depends how they are feeling about all the recordings I suppose, but I imagine the impulse would be to want to clean them up and make them sound better - which is expensive, therefore not free for the end user

Like I said, I'm willing to pay $30/year or even $50 for a download site with official cleaned versions of unreleased tracks supervised from Page & Co. I'm sure the time and $ they put into it will pay off in the long run..it's just up to them if they want to do it!

[leandar]

While I agree that it sucks that Page has had things stolen from him, and those boots shouldn't be supported in my opinion, I have lots of concerts and if memory serves, isn't Page a bootleg collector now too?

I guess the problem with making an official trading/downloads section is that it then officially condones unauthorised recordings. It depends how they are feeling about all the recordings I suppose, but I imagine the impulse would be to want to clean them up and make them sound better - which is expensive, therefore not free for the end user

I dunno, it seems to have worked for Queen and they said the idea was to make and end run around the bootleggers and they cleaned up some of the Queen bootlegs and put them on the official site's online store. I can't see why that wouldn't work also for Zeppelin. We know that Page has loads of bootlegs in his collection, he could get some good ones out and fix them up some and then put them up on the site and I bet they'd make a killing on it!

[SuperDave]

While I agree that it sucks that Page has had things stolen from him, and those boots shouldn't be supported in my opinion, I have lots of concerts and if memory serves, isn't Page a bootleg collector now too?

I dunno, it seems to have worked for Queen and they said the idea was to make and end run around the bootleggers and they cleaned up some of the Queen bootlegs and put them on the official site's online store. I can't see why that wouldn't work also for Zeppelin. We know that Page has loads of bootlegs in his collection, he could get some good ones out and fix them up some and then put them up on the site and I bet they'd make a killing on it!

Not a bad idea. If they did do it, each week they could feature a particular show or say the Bron-YR-Aur sessions for example. This could work. I think it should only be accessible to forum members for a nominal fee so you don't have thousands trying to access this and then crashing the site.

[Cactus]

Not a bad idea. If they did do it, each week they could feature a particular show or say the Bron-YR-Aur sessions for example. This could work. I think it should only be accessible to forum members for a nominal fee so you don't have thousands trying to access this and then crashing the site.

I don't understand why everyone thinks forum membership entitles them to something. It doesn't. Just because we waste our time on here does not make us a better/more serious fan than any regular fan who isn't online. What you're doing is called 'eliteism'

If they rolled out a program like this they should expand their capacity, not try to restrict the number of people who can use it.

[SuperDave]

I don't understand why everyone thinks forum membership entitles them to something. It doesn't. Just because we waste our time on here does not make us a better/more serious fan than any regular fan who isn't online. What you're doing is called 'eliteism'

If they rolled out a program like this they should expand their capacity, not try to restrict the number of people who can use it.

Sure a lot of people should be able to access it, but you don't want to make it to commercial, like the itunes of bootleg sites.

[Reggie29]

I don't understand why everyone thinks forum membership entitles them to something. It doesn't. Just because we waste our time on here does not make us a better/more serious fan than any regular fan who isn't online. What you're doing is called 'eliteism'

If they rolled out a program like this they should expand their capacity, not try to restrict the number of people who can use it.*

Hear hear.

* Exactly, it should be made available to anyone who can access the site(s).

There should be compensation for production and shipping for people who want to purchase CD's and DVD's, and of course something for the band.

As long as they're reasonably priced and affordable.

Official downloads are available already to ANYONE for about $1 per song.

An incentive to join and for existing forum members may be a discount off the purchase price and / or other membership benefits.

However, membership should not be the only criteria to enable others to share in the procurement of Led Zeppelin's music.

Since when does Led Zeppelin stand for exclusivity?

[ayah-chan]

bootlegs are fine for me.. ^^

[gollum6668]

Ok I love bootlegs..But they're not of 100% quality. Although I'm pissed that HTWWW left out Louie, Louie and Thank You, at least the sound is good (forget a few feedback moments..it's great!!). The magic and power is there..such as it was with the BBC '71....even though the '69 live show should have been inc. in full!

Bootlegs are bad because why? They actually let the fans know what is there and what should be there..In that case, they are bad! On the other hand, this forum and site can be good for one thing..Feedback from the fans to the band and vice versa.

The remastered TSRTS is a beginning..Although not the best show group wise, I still love NQ and D&C (inc. the new outro) and the solos of OTHAFA. For years the "out-takes" from this soundtrack/film were circulated via bootleg..and now they're publicly released thank god.

Bootlegs are not bad as long as they sound somewhat good and represent the band as a whole. If bootlegs did not exist and we just ended up talking about the studio albums, I believe this site would have a lot less discussion. I'm only 31...I didn't know my piss from my shit when Zep. was performing Knebworth..But from the studio albums and bootlegs here I am..We Are..discussing and enjoying their music.

'Legs are bad if you use them to make $$$. If you want a good soundboard show to share with friends, so be it. Shame how there's so many good shows and out-takes yet to hit the record store or even hit an official "ok."

[Daniel]

Perhaps rock stars need to have pre-nupps that include a 'shut the hell up' or else clause?

[3hrsoflunacy]

Like I said, I'm willing to pay $30/year or even $50 for a download site with official cleaned versions of unreleased tracks supervised from Page & Co. I'm sure the time and $ they put into it will pay off in the long run..it's just up to them if they want to do it!

Don't take this as me arguing with you, but what possible motive would Jimmy have for doing this? The time and money they put into the band has more than paid off in the long run. Besides, if you know the right people, you can get very clean versions of unreleased tracks.

Ok I love bootlegs..But they're not of 100% quality

Bootlegs are not bad as long as they sound somewhat good and represent the band as a whole.

There are some boots out there that rival officially released albums, especially some of the SBD recordings from 1975 (2/12, 3/19, etc.) Also keep in mind that most of these AUD recordings were done over 30 years ago and don't judge them based on today's technology.

Feedback from the fans to the band and vice versa

Despite the O2 reunion, and the recent studio activity 3J's, I wouldn't consider Led Zeppelin an active band. What feedback from the fans do they need? Besides, as long as these guys have been around, don't you think they have gotten their share of feedback. I am pretty sure they are comfotable with what they have done over their careers.

Anyway, my point is:

I don't see the need, based on availability of quality boots of Led Zeppelin, for the band to put together some site to profit from making these official. There are a lot of good remasters of these recordings (by 2 people in particular) that have improved them dramatically. I think myself and other serious collectors would prefer for Jimmy to dig a little deeper in his vault and give us something that isn't in circulation.